Gas lighters

ABSTRACT

A gas lighter which has a cylindrical body housing a gas reservoir is provided with a pivotal and rotatable lever. The body is provided with a gas outlet channel which is closed by an axial member carried by the lever. An aperture is provided in the lever laterally off-set from the gas outlet channel and constitutes a burner aperture. There is a seal between the burner aperture and gas outlet channel and the lighter ignition system is supported by a rotatable head on which the lever is also supported so that the lever and ignition system rotate simultaneously.

O United States Patent 1 1111 3,884,618 Neyret May 20, 1975 GAS LIGHTERS Primary ExaminerCarroll B. Dority, Jr. [75] Inventor. Guy Neyret, Franchev1lle, France Assistant Examiner Larry I. Schwartz [73] Assignee: Establissements Genoud & Cie, Attorney, Agent, or FirmKarl F. Ross; Herbert Venissieux (Rhone), France Dubno [22] Filed: July 5, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 376,446 [57] ABSTRACT A gas lighter which has a cylindrical body housing a gas reservoir is provided with a pivotal and rotatable [30] Foreign Apphcanon Pnonty Data lever. The body is provided with a gas outlet channel July 10, 1972 France 72.25377 which is Closed b an i l member carried by the lever. An aperture is provided in the lever laterally off- [52] U.S. C1 431/254; 431/276 Set from the gas outlet channel and constitutes a [51] Int. Cl. F23q 1/04 burner aperture There is a seal between the burner [58] Fleld of Search 431/254, 130, 131, 276, aperture and gas outlet channel and the lighter igni 431/277 tion system is supported by a rotatable head on which the lever is also supported so that the lever and igni- References cued tion system rotate simultaneously.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Cl 4 D F 3,770,367 11 1973 Court 431 277 rawmg 1 i Z- 2 i 11 s 5 -1 l x I: H 3 /2/+ 2 I 'j 1 i E I 15 l -23 30 16 1s 22 PATENTED MAY 2 0 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 GAS LIGHTERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION tion system and regulation of the flame height, if it is desired that this regulation be carried out by rotating the actual head of the lighter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a solution of this problem.

The solution consists in locating the gas outlet channel and its closure member supported by a lever, in the central axis of the lighter body, and of laterally offsetting the burner aperture also supported by this lever which is pivotally mounted on a rotatable head threaded on the lighter body and also carrying the ignition system, the head bearing on a deformable outlet channel for adjusting the flow of gas therethrough.

It is thus possible to regulate the height of the flame by rotating the head of the lighter bearing the lever and the ignition system which thus participates in the rotation of the head with the burner aperture, while the lever mounted on this head retains its essential function of a closure member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a lighter according to the invention in which the gas seal is obtained by a labyrinth effect;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are similar diagrammatic views of two other embodiments of the lighter in which the gas seal is ensured by an annular gasket; and,

FIG. 4 is an axial section view of the lighter shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In these various embodiments: the reference numeral 1 designates the lighter body, 2 the gas outlet aperture, and 3 the moving lever provided with the burner aper ture 4 offset laterally with respect to the gas outlet aperture 2, and a head 30 rotatably threaded on the body 1 and carrying the lever 3.

This head 30 is mounted to rotate on the body 1, and for this purpose it comprises (see FIG. 4) a central sleeve which is threaded onto a connection 16 attached to or integral with the body 1, and provided with a passage way 16' communicating between the aperture 2 and a gas reservoir formed in the body 1.

The gas outlet aperture 2 is formed in a member 6 fitted inside the sleeve 15 abutting the connection 16 and made of a flexible deformable material. In the nonfunctional position of the lighter (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) this aperture 2 is closed by a needle-valve 5 integral with lever 3.

By screwing the head downward on the central connection 16, the member 6 is compressed reducing the section of the gas outlet aperture 2 and thus flow of gas .therethrough providing the means for adjusting a flame.

Placed inside the passageway l6 is a porous material 17 which ensures the expansion of the gas by a throttling effect.

The lever 3 comprises a clevis l8 straddling a shaft 19 of a flint wheel 20 against which a pyrophoric flint 21 subject to the action of a thrust spring 22 bears, the shaft 19 being mounted on the head 30.

The lever 3 is pivotally mounted on the head and is normally retained in the closed positon by the action of a spring 23.

This lever 3 has a projecting plate 24 which the user presses after having actuated the flint wheel 20 which pivots the lever 3 and raises the needle-valve 5.

In the case of FIG; 3,the seal is ensured by a solid washer 7 as opposed to needle-valve 5 the washer 7 being also supported by the lever 3.

When the aperture 2 is opened by raising the lever 3, the gas is channelled and may escape only through the burner aperture 4 owing to the presence of either a set of concentric circular notches or grooves 8 and lips 9, which are also circular and concentric, forming a labyrinth (FIG. 1), or an annular gasket 10 (FIGS. 2 and 3) fitted in a connection 11 of the body 1 and covered by a skirt 12 of the lever 3.

It will be readily understood that with the aforesaid embodiments, the flame height is adjusted by a simple rotation of the head 30 on the body 1 without incidence on the ignition mechanism participating in this rotation, a movement which is, moreover, of relatively restricted amplitude.

What is claimed is:

l. A lighter comprising:

a hollow cylindrical body defining a gas reservoir and having an axial passage;

a head rotatably mounted on said body and having means for varying the flow cross-section of said passage upon such rotation;

a lever pivotably mounted on said head and formed with valve means in axial alignment with said passage for selectively opening and closing same;

a burner aperture formed in said lever and laterally offset from said valve means;

sealing means between said burner aperture and said passageway; and

ignition means on said head for the ignition of gas emanating from said burner aperture.

2. A lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing means comprises:

a plurality of concentric grooves formed in said head surrounding said passage; and

a plurality of concentric lips formed on said lever surrounding said burner aperture and said valve means, said lips extending into said notches and forming a path between said passage and said burner aperture surrounded by a labyrinth for preventing the lateral escape of gas from said path when said lever is raised.

3. A lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein said head is formed with a channel aligned with said passage and said sealing means comprises:

an upstanding boss formed on said head around said channel;

an annular skirt depending from said lever and surrounding said boss; and

an annular gasket between said boss and said skirt for preventing lateral escape of gas around said boss when said lever is raised.

4. The lighter defined in claim 1 wherein:

said ignition means includes a flint wheel rotatable on said head, and a flint received in said head and engaging said wheel;

'said body is formed with an upstanding externally threaded axially central neck traversed by said passage;

said head is formed with a downwardly extending axial central internally threaded sleeve threadedly receiving said neck and provided with a channel communicating with said passage;

' channel. 

1. A lighter comprising: a hollow cylindrical body defining a gas reservoir and having an axial passage; a head rotatably mounted on said body and having means for varying the flow cross-section of said passage upon such rotation; a lever pivotably mounted on said head and formed with valve means in axial alignment with said passage for selectively opening and closing same; a burner aperture formed in said lever and laterally offset from said valve means; sealing means between said burner aperture and said passageway; and ignition means on said head for the ignition of gas emanating from said burner aperture.
 2. A lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing means comprises: a plurality of concentric grooves formed in said head surrounding said passage; and a plurality of concentric lips formed on said lever surrounding said burner aperture and said valve means, said lips extending into said notches and forming a path between said passage and said burner aperture surrounded by a labyrinth for preventing the lateral escape of gas from said path when said lever is raised.
 3. A lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein said head is formed with a channel aligned with said passage and said sealing means comprises: an upstanding boss formed on said head around said channel; an annular skirt depending from said lever and surrounding said boss; and an annular gasket between said boss and said skirt for preventing lateral escape of gas around said boss when said lever is raised.
 4. The lighter defined in claim 1 wherein: said ignition means includes a flint wheel rotatable on said head, and a flint received in said head and engaging said wheel; said body is formed with an upstanding externally threaded axially central neck traversed by said passage; said head is formed with a downwardly extending axial central internally threaded sleeve threadedly receiving said neck and provided with a channel communicating with said passage; said valve means including a formation on said lever engageable with said channel; said means for varying the flow cross-section of said passage including a deformable member received between said sleeve and said neck and compressible upon relative threaded rotation thereof; and said lighter further comprises a first coil spring surrounding said sleeve and engaging said flint to urge the same against said wheel, and a second spring received in saiD head and biasing said lever to bring said formation into blocking engagement with said channel. 